I never imagined that Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” would make the perfect backing track for a Korean soup recipe, but here it is! Kongguksu is a traditional Korean noodle dish that is based on homemade soy bean broth (soy milk from a grocery store won’t work – trust me!). The thin somyeon noodles the chef uses in this dish are available at most Asian grocers. If they aren’t in stock, the staff will be happy to find a good replacement – and happy to see that a customer is making kongguksu from scratch!

On a colleague’s recommendation, I first tried Kongguksu on a business trip to Seoul. I was initially skeptical about the pairing of soy beans and sesame, but soon discovered that this combination is quite delightful. This recipe is as close a replica of that dish I’ve ever found in the U.S. Give it a shot – you may get as hooked on this as I did!

If you are like me, a beginner at learning about Korean cooking, take a look at this cook book. Most recipes contain a 2 sentence introduction, less than 10 ingredients, and under 5 steps to make.

While not totally vegetarian (there are recipes for traditional Korean meat dishes), you will find many plant-based and healthy recipes inside.